gamescom 2026 Closes With 368,000 Visitors From 131 Countries, a 6% Bump Over 2025

gamescom 2026 wrapped in Cologne with 368,000 visitors from 131 countries, the organisers confirmed in their official final report released 30 August. The figure is up roughly 6% over gamescom 2025's 357,000 attendees and represents the third-highest visitor total in the show's history, while the international audience reached a new record.

Organised jointly by Koelnmesse and game – The German Games Industry Association, the show filled a sold-out 233,000 square-metre show floor with 1,743 exhibiting companies from 66 countries, an 11% increase year-on-year. A record 72% of exhibitors came from abroad, with 48 country pavilions representing 41 nations. Trade visitor numbers rose above 36,000, with the strongest growth from Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands and the United States.

"gamescom brings people from all over the world together, combining the economic and social significance of games on a scale like no other," Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse, said in the official press release. Felix Falk, managing director of game, added that "many of last year's record figures were surpassed, especially in terms of international participation and the number of exhibitors."

The digital footprint was larger than ever. The full programme generated more than 624 million views as of the closing Saturday evening, with Geoff Keighley's gamescom Opening Night Live show clearing 78 million views on its own — up 7.5% over 2025. The integrated gamescom dev conference drew a 15% rise in registered attendance to 6,200, and gamescom GDQ's European debut of the Games Done Quick speedrunning format earned this year's gamescom Heart of Gaming Award.

Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier became the first German head of state to attend gamescom, opening the gamescom congress to more than 1,100 attendees. Across its eight stages, the congress ran 85 programme items with 165 speakers, including representatives of Europol, the Red Cross and the United Nations.

gamescom 2027 is scheduled for the week of 23 to 29 August in Cologne. Koelnmesse is already exploring additional hall capacity to keep up with exhibitor demand after the 2026 show sold out for the first time in its history.

Readers can verify the headline figures in the official gamescom 2026 final report hosted on Games Press, browse the gamescom press releases archive on the official site, or pull the Koelnmesse press office feed for additional context.